10 Tips for Creating Your Perfect Agent Bio

Your agent bio is a crucial first impression for new clients and colleagues in real estate. An effective agent bio strikes the right balance between confidence and self promotion, while providing a glimpse of your personality and individual charm. It's also a great tool for creating the kinds of personal connections that are essential to building a loyal client base.

Try these 10 tips for creating the perfect agent bio:

Organize Experience by Relevance

As you would with a resume, start with your relevant education and professional experience as a real estate agent or broker. Be sure to include the following:

• Sales numbers and any awards you have won. Keep it brief, and stick to the facts.
• Any applicable skills you have from other industries, including sales or customer service.
• The effectiveness of your team or office. Team awards, positive third-party press reviews and client feedback should all be included.
• Memberships with professional real estate organizations or community groups. Keep your information focused on what helps readers connect your membership to making you a better real estate agent.

Check out this agent bio to see some excellent examples of organization by relevance.

Add Personal Touches to Foster Commonality

Sales is an intensely personal business, and as you know, helping someone find and purchase a home is even more so. Include some interesting personal information like what university you attended, or family activities your kids or spouse may participate in at school and in the community. These details can help get that meeting with a prospective client because they connect with your shared interests. Don't make this section too extensive, but intentionally select personal information that makes you accessible, relatable and trustworthy.

This example is great for inspiration when adding a personal touch without compromising your professional style.

Use a Professional Photo

If you haven't already, consider getting headshots done with a professional photographer. A great photo on your bio goes a long way toward establishing and promoting your personal brand. Choose a photo you like and one that expresses your personality. Making an excellent photographic first impression can be just as important as a well-written bio.

Write, Don't Sell

Your bio is not a promotional space for your business, and attempting to soft sell from your bio may be perceived as disingenuous. Use your bio to show potential clients and colleagues the person and professional you are. They need to trust you as an agent and as a person.

Give this bio page a read if you need an example of how to create a sales pitch-free bio.

Freewrite First, Then Organize

Start writing your bio by turning off your inner critic and freewriting what comes to mind. Don't focus on full, polished sentences. Freewriting is simply typing out or writing out what you want to say without involving conscious thought or organization. Freewrite your first draft, then go back and revise your ideas and edit for conventions. Once you've got your thoughts and ideas out of your brain and on the page, you can start shaping that raw clay of potential into a thoughtful and meaningful piece of writing.

Write Like Your Best Friend

If humility and personal modesty are causing you to struggle with your writing, here's a nifty trick to get started: imagine what your best friend would write about you if they were composing your bio. If you're at an impasse, take a break and give that person a call. Ask them why they would hire you if you were going to be their real estate agent. Write down what they say — it can be an invaluable resource when you need to infuse some self-promotion into your agent bio.

Always Read Your Work Out Loud

The hands-down best method for catching mistakes or awkward writing on anything you compose is reading it out loud. Draft, rewrite, read aloud, then edit. Read it aloud, then edit one more time. You will know exactly what revisions are needed, as well as what to expand or contract from your reading because it will sound awkward or difficult to understand.

Include Your Location

Make sure to include your geographic location in your description, especially if you work in an office. If you work from home, stay away from personal details, but do include the city where you live and the surrounding areas and neighborhoods where you work. When you include your location(s) on your site, search engines will pick up on those key details and may help to drive more traffic to your site.

If you've received an award or acknowledgement, like "Top Real Estate Agent in Minneapolis," that's an excellent way to weave location into your bio (while also sharing an important distinction for you personal brand). Also, include how long you have lived or worked in your area, as well as some of your favorite things about the area (e.g., parks, restaurants, other businesses, etc.). This will let potential clients see just how knowledgeable you are about the area.

Brevity and Honesty Go a Long Way

Do everything you can to keep your bio short and sweet. Depending on your professional experiences, accolades and how much detail you provide regarding personal anecdotes, short could mean different things for different people. The overall length of your bio will also vary if you're writing as the owner of a brokerage vs. an independent agent. Above all, being truthful is tantamount to your overall success. It should go without saying that stretching the truth or fabricating information is a huge nope in this business, where building trust and fostering loyalty is the very thread in the fabric of your career as an agent. Let your bio leave a great first impression that can be reinforced by your personality and professional excellence.

Keep It Fresh

Things change so rapidly in this industry, and finding time to update your bio is an important way of keeping it fresh, as well as keeping the overall content on your site as fresh and up-to-date as possible. If you receive a new award or pursue a special certificate or higher education, those are great things to add to your bio on a quarterly basis, or as they arise. If you expand your business or your family, those are also great things to include and showcase your experience and personality. Make a note to yourself—even schedule it on your calendar—to review your bio periodically, whether that's annually, semi-annually or quarterly.

All in all, the most important part of writing your bio is creating a brand and image consistent with who you are as a real estate professional and who you are as a genuine human being seeking to help people realize their personal goals and aspirations. Selling them that perfect home or that ideal commercial property for their dream business is why you get up in the morning. Your bio should project both your values and commitment without making a sales pitch. Focus on creating a bio that's both pleasant and enjoyable to read, as well as informative and knowledgeable to your current and potential customers.

To view the original article, visit the WolfNet blog.